Former India batter Rahul Dravid, who stepped down from his coaching duties after leading the Indian team to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024, is reportedly being considered for a return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals. Dravid, who had an illustrious career as one of India's greatest batters, finally added an ICC trophy to his cabinet as a coach after failing to do so during his playing days.
With Gautam Gambhir taking over as India's head coach, there are speculations that Dravid could rejoin Rajasthan Royals, a team he has a long history with. Dravid was previously the captain of Rajasthan Royals and later served as a mentor and coach before moving on to the BCCI setup.
Currently, the Rajasthan Royals are coached by former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara. However, according to reports from Cricbuzz, Sangakkara is being considered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as their new white-ball coach. Should Sangakkara leave to take up the England role, the head coach position at Rajasthan Royals could be offered to Dravid.
Addressing the rumours about joining England as their new white-ball coach, Sangakkara stated, "Well, I know my name has been mentioned for some reason, but there has not been any approach as such. I think the England white-ball job is an exciting prospect for anyone, but there are so many good candidates out there. I am very happy at the moment. The Rajasthan Royals experience has been very fulfilling, and it has been a job I have really enjoyed over the last four years."
The speculation comes after England's white-ball coach, Matthew Mott, stepped down following the team's failure to defend their ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup titles. The ECB has temporarily appointed former England batter Marcus Trescothick as interim coach for the upcoming ODI and T20 series against Australia in September.
If the reports are accurate and Sangakkara departs for England, Dravid's return to the Rajasthan Royals could bring a wealth of experience and leadership to the team as they look to build on their previous successes.